Papagena

Not shocked, but Missledine will definitely be the wild card of the cast. Debuts are always exciting and I'm definitely going to get a ticket to hers. Tatiana is supposed to be a very young teen so it does make sense age-wise, but she also has to carry the ballet from a dramatic, not technique-driven place to sell the character's growth from lovestruck teen to a self-assured woman of status who teeters on the brink of collapse when Onegin comes back to her. Years ago it the principal casts were the likes of Vishneva, Ferri, and Abrera (Seo as well), extremely accomplished dramatic ballerinas. Ferri was in her 50s when I saw her and her transformation knocked my socks off (I'll never forget her entrance in Act II). The Onegins at the time were the likes of Bolle, Gomes, and Hallberg - men who can captivate the audience just by walking on stage. It's a high standard I just have to let go of this year and enjoy myself. While I very much enjoy Teuscher and Schevchenko in many things, I'm not as compelled to see them in this. Hee Seo has done this role for years so she is probably the safest pick for a nice, lived-in performance. However Teuscher is partnered with Camargo, who brings a youthful passion and freshness to his work that will probably work well in this ballet. Basically, I don't have any solid answers except that the Schevchenko / Streans cast would be the one I would not attend due to dancer style preferences (seeing Schevchenko in SL instead).

Fantastic role for him! This season is so unlike 2017 (I think?) when I went 3 times because there were so many great Tatiana/Onegin pairings. This year, the Lensky/Olga role will probably sway my choice pretty heavily. Curley and Roxander seem like no-brainers as well.

This - Coker and another female corps member will probably be promoted together when Paris or Fang are out, and use this summer season to work out any post injury issues. Also ballet promotions are not dissimilar to promotions in any company or corporation, where they are not just based on someone deserving something, but also very much on need. With the women's ranks so packed, there just isn't room or need for another female soloist at the moment. The three men who were promoted were imo, the right choice and very much needed. They each cover a specific niche that ABT was sorely missing (Curley the tall danseur noble, Roxander the long-awaited star who fills the Siimkin void, Gonzales a reliable all-around asset who has a naturally warm and likable leading or secondary man presence). Promoting 5 men doesn't seem reasonable from a budget perspective. I'm still shocked Murphy did not opt to retire this year. Since Copeland is not retiring this year, 2024 would have given Murphy her the starring retirement treatment. That would also push Misseldine up and free up more space amongst the soloists.

I feel a bit bad for everyone involved (including Peck). What threw me off was the way she phrased it ..."People don’t think that she can do the hard technical things." No dancer wants to read that a vague group of 'people' don't believe in their technical abilities. Especially a corps dancer who is getting some upward momentum. Peck is also a colleague, albeit a senior colleague, which complicates things as well. She didn't word things very well with Von Enk either. "To bring out the fullness of her dancing" might have been more diplomatic than "who needs fullness." I see this a lot with new managers, where they aren't used to the power of words in a new position and it takes some getting used to. Do choreographers generally speak like this? I'm thinking high level like Ratmansky or Wheeldon (or even Justin Peck). We've seen Derek Deane do it but his was at a more obviously unacceptable degree. But perhaps it's generally normal and I haven't been paying attention.

I love the idea of one cast - this is one of my top 3 favorite Balanchine ballets and I always go for the second or third performances so the dancers have time to settle into it. Surprised Bouder is not featured here (although I wouldn't want to swap out any of the women listed - I'm so excited about this cast). I do wish Joseph Gordon were in this run, although I think he and Angel both usually play the same role (the man who shields his face).

I believe that it's acknowledged and accepted amongst NYCB management that in-demand principals use this time to make some extra $$ in paid appearances elsewhere, thus opening space for debuts, soloists and corps members testing out principal roles. I think the trend of top company primas guesting at smaller regional companies is great. It shares the wealth of talent we are privileged to have in counties where it is not as abundant. It's not like ABT, where principals get a very limited number of performances, and thus ABT dancers sort of need these shows in a way NYCB dancers do not. I think there was quote from Martins or someone else high in the ranks about how it's expected that principals are leaving to guest in other Nutcrackers - not sure where I read this, however.

Yes, after all these years, the person I'm still the most excited to see is Ferri. And I know people who are coming to town just to see her one more time. Not even due to nostalgia, just an incredible artist. Even with diminished technique Copeland could probably manage a modified R&J as well as Woolf Works. Tatiana isn't the most technically difficult role either (and even though a role like Mama Elena is small, Copeland has sparkled in roles like this ... thinking of her Queen in The Golden Cockerel). I'm baffled she's not performing this season. They left out of a lot the ballets with difficult lead roles for women (Don Q, Sleeping Beauty) so I was sure it was going to be a retirement year for Murphy / Copeland.

Would you say it's a big dip in quality from the last couple seasons? I expected a gradual decline like Cornejo, but it sounds like the decline has been much steeper. She's dancing Etudes in the Fall gala which is a bold choice. But to hear she had issues with Tatiana is disheartening, as it's not the most difficult role ... I wonder if her focus on ARB is taking away from studio time? I assumed next year would be her last Summer season at The Met since she probably wants to retire as O/O, her signature role.

They have some amazing up-and-comers! But there are a lot of unexciting men at/near the top (Stearns, Ahn, Forster, Hoven) that they can't sideline completely. I feel bad saying this as Stearns and Forster are the type of likable, workmanlike principal males every company needs to have on hand, but unlike Roxander who can turn a ballet newbie into a fan with one solo, they aren't likely to convert new audiences. Maybe I'm just on a high from spectacular newcomers like Roxander and Roman Mejia, but perhaps we're on the cusp of another era of male dancers who are worth shaping ticket purchases around? Until then we're probably in for a couple more awkward transitional seasons.

Agree wholeheartedly. Her épaulement might now be my favorite in the company. Even newer ballet fans I brought this season have mentioned how captivating they found her. Orpheus isn't much of a dancer showcase (at least not in comparison to most other pieces this season) but she turned it into one!

Come to think of it I've actually never seen an ABT dancer really nail female T&V lead. I'm always relieved with they just get through it with no obvious issues. Have they had a great interpreter in the past 20 years?

This is why I sort of bristle at all the 'get your house in order ABT / jaffe is slow / I had hopes for certain casting choices and now have lost hope' assumptions because its clear that this is a transitional, important time for the company. This is not an easy process for both dancers and management. Take the time needed to do it right, something that will help the company be a better place for artists for years and years (although hopefully the contracts will be in place by performance time as non-contract employment can cause major low morale). I hope they can find a solution everyone is happy with.

Thank you for this! So happy to have Alessandra back at The Met. I wonder if adding such a young O/O (Misseldine) to the already stacked SL slots means one or two of their swans are retiring this year (Murphy/Copeland would be my guess).

The NYCB men in particular have been fabulous in everything. Roman Mejia is such a star - gorgeous work from Gilbert Bolden III, Jovani Furlan and Joseph Gordon and as well. For everyone getting upset about delayed promotions, remember that Jaffe did not choose the rep last Spring - this program is her first and closer to glory days ABT rep. It's and a real testing ground to see how people dance her repertory preferences.

This is literally the first season she's put together. Why not keep the hopes high?

I agree. There are so many different and evolving characteristics of what makes a 'Balanchine Ballerina,' but something about how she can cover so much space + her timeless modernity and commanding presence makes her a top choice when I bring NYCB-first-timers to a performance. So many gorgeous ballerinas of many shapes and style in the company, but when I watch Kikta I always want to be her! Gerrity is lovely as well but doesn't stick in the mind as much. I'm looking forward to seeing her in more starring roles - for some reason my performance choices worked out to not having seen her much this and the previous year.

Very true - which makes me wonder if our reception to the piece in general has changed and thus why we find an easier time buying Fairchild's firecracker of a performance rather than Nadon's natural glamour and elegance (I did not see Nadon in this so I'm just throwing words out there that may not be true in this instance). While it was always tongue-in-cheek, could it be that our overall relationship with this type of patriotism has changed (I would say, soured a bit more)? It definitely works best now as a maximalist bauble with the pyrotechnics turned up to 11.

I feel the same about Western and Slaughter. I can deal with Western if it's a great cast but am skipping out this year because the combination of of Western and Stars & Stripes in one program is a bit heavy on American kitsch for me (I'd be paying exclusively to see The Unanswered Question which is a little snippet of a ballet). Slaughter is last on the program so I'm getting cheaper tickets and dropping off after Agon / La Sonnambula if I'm really not in the mood.

It could be that someone misinterpreted 'woooos' for boos? I thought in general the audience was quite welcoming to everyone. I hope the dancers didn't interpret it that way if it wasn't actually happening, that would be rough for them. Where did this rumor come from?

Was she? I didn't hear boos but maybe was sitting in a more enthusiastic section. Anyone else can confirm?

I actually found the opposite - her weight was completely acceptable but dancing was not. For me her arms were her most beautiful asset - their softer form made me think of the beautiful 19th century ballerinas. It was her technique and clear struggle to keep up with even corps member standards (not to mention the music) that was the distraction. Also she posted something on IG about those who support her and implying the other group are just 'haters' ... so odd. I was her biggest fan and hope she comes back stronger next time, but ranting about haters and that artists should be basically immune to criticism is weird social media echo chamber stuff. Comments like this that focus on her weight though, do not help the matter. Lynn Seymour and Carrie Imler faced criticisms about their weight, but they were paragons of artistry (Seymour) and technique (Imler) so they remained at the top of audience's must-see lists until their retirement. It's 100% possible to be heavier and an excellent ballet dancer. I hope that if Bouder works on regaining her technique and explores her artistry (and ... maybe some self reflection) people will leave the weight conversation alone. I can't imagine what it feels like for people to talk about your body when you probably already feel self conscious about it, and it overshadows conversations about the dancing itself. Olivia Boisson - I hope she has a future as an Emeralds lead. She's been in the company a while though, so not sure what her trajectory will look like in the coming years. I still remember her 'prayer' variation in Coppelia from way back so fondly - absolutely lovely.

Interesting - I wonder if this means more basic technique (like clean turns / landings / precision etc) or that SAB/NYCB's Balanchine-specific techniques and style are being diluted a bit.

This is definitely part of the problem - whereas someone like Mearns had clear signature roles right away, I can't think of roles I identify primarily with Phelan. It seems like she is stretched too thin to make a strong handful of roles her own. I didn't mind her performance last night as I don't expect fireworks from difficult debuts and her solo work was more beautiful than a lot of these reports are implying (in my opinion it was the partner work is what suffered most). However I'm opting out of her Apollo/La Sonnambula dobule feature since I'm seeing so much of her elsewhere. This may also be a management / coaching issue - asking someone to do Apollo/La Sonnambula back-to-back on the same night is sort of crazy to me.

I wasn't sure if it was recency bias for me (or if I was just on a post-performance high last night), but 100% agreed - Mejia on the Rubies cast list is worth shaping decisions around for those who haven't seen him. I was sitting in the 3rd ring and even from there is elevation was making everyone around me catch their breath.

Just got back from tonight's show. The evening got off to a rough start with Emeralds. While I wasn't expecting Bouder at her best, I was surprised to see that the quality of her dancing did not seem to improve since last year. The opening was serviceable, but it was painfully apparent when dancing side-by-side with Laracey or in front of the rest of the company that she is not dancing anywhere near company standard. Even things like her musical timing was off with everyone else, her arabesques the lowest by a large margin, and there were fumbles with basic components like pirouette finishes or sloppy transitional steps. To be clear, none of these things have anything to do with weight (on the contrary, her arms were her most notable asset here, lovely port de bras in her solo). I'm not sure what's going on. I'd be curious about reports to see if she improves on Friday, perhaps it was nerves? Even the wonderful Chan was a bit lackluster. Laracey kept Emeralds from sinking. Rubies brought the house down with Kikta, Peck, and Mejia (no surprise there!). Kikta is my favorite Tall Girl at the moment - I love how she towers over everyone, her broad shoulders and cool demeanor. Nadon's take on the role is more glamorous, but Kikta veers more mythical and powerful. Excited to hear about Christina Clark's debut in this! And if it's possible to have a crush on a dance move, I have a major crush on Mejia's 'Rubies run' (not sure what else to call the little jog all the men do). He was insanely good in this. Tiler Peck seems to dance more effortlessly as the years go on, and her Rubies feels like a gift every time I see it. The audience let out audible gasps for each of the leads at several points. Diamonds started out cautious and dull but bloomed. As it was Phelan's debut and thus Gordon's first time dancing it with her, the opening pas de deux could use another few rounds to develop fully. Both of them really shone in their solo work. Phelan's turn sequences were music-box beautiful and her port de bras became more lush and less 'by the numbers' as the piece went on. Gordon is always great and carries such an intriguing presence, but it seemed like someone didn't properly tailor his tunic - it kept riding up with the neckline swallowing him a bit. Highs and lows, but swooned often and joined others around me in gasps for both Rubies and Diamonds. How wonderful to see the auditorium so full on a Wednesday night!